Electrical line-protector.



PATENTED MAR, 31, 1908 F. B. COOK. ELECTRICAL LINE PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.26.1907,

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, lowing is a specification, reference being had i tectors, and in particular to protectors com-- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK B. COOK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICAL LINE-PROTECTOR.

. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented March 31, 1908.

Application filed September 26, 1907. Serial No. 894,694.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK B. COOK, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Electrical LineProtector, of which the folto the accompanying drawings, illustrating same. I

My invention relates to electrical proprising fuses and lightning arresters.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide an improved fuse and lightning arrester device, which may be suspended from-a line W'lIB to provide improved means for inclosing and protecting the lightning I arrester, and forconductively, connecting same 'with the fuse; to provide improved means for connecting onewlectrode of the lightning arrester to ground to provide a lightning arrester to be used in this" connection, which is self-cleaning; and to provide compactness, simplicity of construction, efficiency, durability and accessibility insuch a protector device.

Qther objects will be apparent from the following specification.- l

While it has been heretofore very .desir-' .able 'to employ line fuses on line. wires in branch circuits from the line-'wires, and to suspend them from the line Wires, it is found that it is very necessaryin numerous places to have a lightning arrester in -corinje ction' with the; fuse to protect theline circuit and branch circuit from highotential electricity,

, such as lightning. A lig tningarrester used I in this connection diverts obj ectionable highpotential'currents from a portion of the line wire and from the branch'circuit and thus protects these circuits from the objection able high-potential currents In this present inventionis provided a' lightning arrester in connection with a fuse, a ada ted to-be suspended from a line wire, the lig tning larrester being preferably inclosed in a bell-shaped receptacle supported by the, fuse. The fuse thus suspended is in a branch circuit from the line Wire. As lightning currents are generally of small am erage, the lightning can be carried'from the ins wire through the fuse tothe lightning arrester and thence to ound, in most cases,

without'blowin the se; itnot being necessary to blow t e fuse unless the current is of such amperage as'to endanger the fusing of the line wire or branch'circuit. There- I fore, in this present invention the lightning arrester is located at the end of the fuse away a cross of 'the line wire with an electric light, power or trolley wire, whether the excessive current passes from the line wire through the fuse and lightning arrester to ground, or from the line wire through the fuse and branch circuit.

In the accompan ing drawings Figure 1 'is a side elevation of t e rotector' dBVIQGLOf the invention sus ended om a line wire, with portions of t e device shown in vertical cross-section; and Fi 2' is a bottom end view of the device of ig. 1. I

Like characters refer to like parts in the several figures. I

g The fuse casing 1, made of some suitable insulatin material, referably porcelain, car'- ries the sible con uctor 2 in a here there -.through in the u'sual manner, and is provided with metallic end caps 3 4 which carry suit able bindingnuts and'clampingplates for' I Clamping connecting the fuse in circuit.

plates 5 6 may be clamped u on'a linewire '7 -to suspend the fuse from t'e line wire as shown. Near the middle of the fuse casing is rovided'a bell-shaped extension 8',prefer ab y molded or made in one iece wlth the fuse casing 1, 'A metallic bel -shaped member 9 is forced on to the lower end of the fuse casing 1 before the end cape is placed thereon, the central neck-like portion 10 'of the bell-shaped portion-9 being forcedup into an annular recess 11 formed'between the-bell sha ed-portion 8 and the fuse casing 1, pref era ly as shown. Thelightning arrester comprisin placed wit in t e be l-shaped portion 9' refs rin -sha ed electrodes 12 13 is erably as shown, the electrodes 12 13 an the portion 9'; being ta ered upwardly'so as to provide a snug fit e'tween the electrode 12 and the portion 9 and also to rovide an annularair gap between the e-ectrodes 12 13 which increases in width toward r,hebotto111 end of theelectrodes'. At the u per end of the'electrode 13, on the externa cylindricalsurface thereof, is-provide'd an insulating coating- 14, such=as an' insulating enamelor cement, and near the lower end of electrode 13 is provided a plurality of insulatingpins 15 .15, preferablythree, set in the electrode 13 and projecting from the external cylindrical surface thereof, the insulating coating 14-and the pins 15 15 being provided to form an air gap between the electrodes 12 13 which increases in. width toward the lower end of the electrodes 1 2 13 so as to allow particles of carbon which may be broken off of the electrode during an electricaldischarge therebetweenv to fall from betweenthe electrodes 12 13 and thereby keep the lightning arrester clean andl'ree from a short-circuit. On the'upp'er' end surface of electrode 13 is preferably provided an insulating enamel 16 to keep any foreign particles from forming a leakage or a short circuit between the electrodes 12 13. At the lower end of the li htning arrester is pro vided an insulatin disk 17, which closes the lower end of the bell-shaped )ortion 9 and which carries a spring spider the arms 18 18 of which bear against the lower end ofelectrode 13 to hold the electrodes 12 13 in place within the bell-shaped portion 9 and make electrical connection between the end cap 4 of the fuse and the electrode 13, the spring spider being riveted to the insulating disk 17 by a suitable rivet 19, and a washer 20 bearing against the portion 19 when thevnuts 22- on the end cap 4 arescrewed up, to bear the arms 18 18 of the spring spider firmly againstthe electrode 13; A drop conductor 21" may be connected with the end cap 4, 'preferably between portions 19 and 20 as shown, the inner end of the rivet 19 preferably engaging the. annular shoulder of the end cap 4 when .nuts 22 are screwedup tightly, to provide a substantial bearing for the rivet 19 and disk 17. One sideof the bell-shaped )ortion 9 is preferably formed outwardly to t the head of screw -23 which screw is provided with suitable wasl'iers 25 and nuts for connectinga ground conductor 24 therewith and conductively with the bell-shaped portion 9. The annular bell-shaped projection 8 on thefuse Leasing 1 forms a drip for the up )er portion of the bell-shaped portion 9 and t ereby keeps the annular recess 11 dry during Wet weather. and time increases theinsulation between the neck-like portion 10 of the bell-shaped portion 9 andthe end ca 30f the fuse.

The circuit througi the fuse is from line Wire 7, through clamp. 5, 6, end cap 3, fus1ble conductor 2, end cap 4, and rivet 19 and washer 20 to the drop conductor 21. The

a path from this latter circuit through the ightning arrester to earth is from end cap 1,

through rivet 19,;spring spiderlS, electrode 13, the air ap between electrode 13 arid electrode 12, e ectrode 12, bell-shaped portion 9,

screw 23, washers25 and conductor- 24 to earth, An excess of curre nt in thecircuit 7, V 2, 21 will blow the fuse 2 and thereby protect.

the portions of this circuitifi'om overheating.

shaped portion, an insulating A high-potential current. of electricity coming from one portion of sconductor 7 will pass through the circuit 2, 1, 13, 12, 24, to earthand will thus be diverted from the other portion of the line wire 7 and from the branch circuit 21.

It will readily be seen that the protector device of this invention may besuspended from a line wire wherever ordinary line fuses are now suspended from the line wires, and that in addition to fuse protection it also furnishes lightning protection.

'.I do not wish to limit this invention to all of the particular details herein shown, as

many modifications thereof may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is: 1. A protector device comprising a fuse adapted to be suspended from a line wire, an

annular metallic. casing inclosingthelower end of the fuse, a lightning arrester comprising annular electrodes inserted within the saidcasing around the fuse, an annular drip carried by the fuse above the annular metallic casing, and means for connecting the fuse and lightning arrester as protectors for the circuit.

2. A protector device comprising a fuse adapted to be sus ended from a line wire, a bell-shaped metallic casing surrounding the lower portion of thefuse, a lightning ,arrester comprising annular electrodes carriedwithin the ell-shaped casing and surrounding the fuse, an annular dri carried by the fuse above the bell-shape casing, an insulating disk closing the lower end of the bell-shaped portion, and suitable'meansfor connecting the fuse and lightning arrestcr as protectors.

3. A protector device comprising a fuse adapted to be suspended from a line Wire, a

bell-sha ed portion inclosing'the lower end ofthe use, a. lightning arrester comprising annular electrodes carried within the bell.

disk closing thelower end of the bell-shape portion, and a spring spider carried by the insulating disk and adapted to bear against one of the said electrodes to hold the lightning arrester in place in the bell-shaped portion.

4. A protector device of the character described comprising an inclosed-fuse, a tapered metalhc casing surrounding a portion of the fuse, a lightning arrester com rising tapered annular electrodes carried wit in the sald tapered casing and surrounding the fuse,

an insulatin disk closing the open end of the said tapere 'casing, a spring spider carried bythe said disk, and means for pressing the said s ider against one of the said electrodes to we go the electrodesin the tapered casing substantially as described.

' 5.- A protectordevice of the character described comprising an inclosed fuse, annular electrodes 0 a lightning arrester surrounding a portion of the fuse and having their survfaces tapered-to provide an annular air gap therebetween WhlOll increases in width to-. ward the bottom of the arrester, a casing for I the arrester surrounding the fuse, and means for suitably holding the electrodes in the casportion of the fuse, a lightning arrester contained within the said chamber, and means for suitably connecting the lightning arrester as a protector to the fuse circuit.

7.- A protector device comprisin a line fuse. adapted to be suspended from a 'ne conductor, a chamber surrounding a portion of the fuse, a lightning arrester contained within the said chamber, a drip carried by the fuse above the said chamber to increase the insulati'on'frorn the wall of the chamber to aclosed fuse, a high-potential electricity arrester associated with the fuse and having an electrode thereof conductively connected with a fuse terminal, apsuitable casing for the arrester carried by the fuse and engaging an electrode of the arrester, and means for connecting the said casing to earth.

9. A protector device comprising an inclosed fuse, a bell-shaped caslng carried by the fuse and surrounding a portion of the latter, an insulating disk closing the open endof the bell-shaped portion to provide an inclosure, a high-potential electricity arrester within the said lnclosure having a spark gap between the electrodes which increases in width toward the lower portion of the arrester, and means for suitably connecting the arrester as a protector to the fuse clrcult.

10. A protector device comprising an inclosed fuse adapted to be suspended from a line wire and having an annular projection to form a drip, a lightning arrester device carried by the fuse below the said drip, and

a means for connecting the lightning arrester as a protector to the fuse circuit.

11. .A protector device comprising a casing, means for suspending the casing from a an inline conductor, a lightning arrester comprising-concentric electrodes and contained within the saidcasin and means for suitably connecting the lig tning arrester as a protector to the line conductor.

12. A protector device comprising a casing, means for suspending the casing from a line conductor, a lightning arrester contained within the-casing, the said arrester having a spark gap between the electrodes thereof which increases in width toward the lower portion of the arrester, a'nd'means for suitably connecting the lightning arrester as a protector to the line conductor.

13. A protector device comprising a casing, means for suspending the casing from a 'line'conductor, a lightning arrester comprise ingconcentric electrodes and contained within the said casing, the said arrester having an annular spark gap between the electrodes thereof which increases in width toward the lower ortion of the arrester, and means for suitab y-connec'ting the lightning arrester as a protector to the line conductor.

14. A protector device of the character described comprising a tapered metallic casing, means for suspending the casing from a line conductor, a lightning arrester comprising tapered annular electrodes carried within the casing, an insulating disk closing the open end of the casing, aspring spider carried by' the saidtdisk, means for pressing the said spider against one of the said electrodes to wedge the electrodes in the tapered casing, and

means for suitably connecting the lightning arrester as a protector to the line conductor.

15. A protector device com rising a metallic casing, means for suspen ing the casing from a line conductor, a lightning arrester contained within the casing, means for con- .necting the lightning arrester as a protector to the line conductor, and a water shed for the said casing arranged above same.

As inventor of the foregoing I hereunto subscribe my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses this 23rd day of September, 1907. 1

FRANK B. COOK. 

